As the use of digital cameras increases, both professional and amateur photographers often amass large collections of digital images. These collections often include sets of images which are almost identical, but vary in small ways. These sets of almost identical images are referred to as near-duplicate images. Near-duplicate images are often produced when a photographer takes several pictures of the same scene or item.
Near-duplicate image detection functions are designed to scan through a volume of digital images and group the near-duplicate images together. A user may then do as he or she pleases with the undesired duplicates. In some cases, the user may set the near-duplicate detection function to automatically remove near-duplicate images from the volume.
Near-duplicate image detection functions generally work by detecting features on each image and analyzing various characteristics of those features. This process is often very processor intensive. As such, near-duplicate image detection functions may take long periods of time to search an entire volume of digital images and find near-duplicate image matches.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.